Submitted by Bob Bhatnagar on
Maybe there is no such thing, but walking safely while texting on an iPhone can be a challenge. Now thanks to the jailbreak tweak CamText the task is slightly easier. With CamText, the background to the Messages app becomes a transparent window that makes it possible to see through your iOS 7 device.
CamText takes live video from the iPhone back camera and feeds it directly into the Messages app while composing or reading SMS, MMS, and iMessage content. The result is a nifty looking way to keep abreast of objects in the sidewalk or other potential hazards en route. Once installed, Settings -> CamTextPrefs provides a transparency slider that can be adjusted to lighten or darken message bubbles.
While texting and walking is not generally recommended for safety reasons, CamText can be helpful for those who can't seem to break the habit. A toggle under the settings will disable CamText for situations when the tweak is not needed.
Previous jailbreak tweaks have brought this functionality to earlier versions of iOS. It's possible Apple will implement the feature itself in future versions of Messages, as patents filed by the company in this arena have recently been discovered.
CamText is available from Cydia on the BigBoss repository for $1.50. Check here for instructions on how to jailbreak iOS 7.x with evasi0n 7. You can also find out how to purchase and install Cydia tweaks with this guide.